Untitled
by nightmaresalive
Summary: AU. Kurogane and Fai, two travelers, find themselves captured and held in a cell where they meet a mysterious amber-eyed boy. The three, along with a young lost girl named Sakura, soon become tangled in a new adventure. Not slash.


Kurogane felt the hand around his bicep tighten as he was forced to a stop in front of a solid, grey stone door. It looked just like every other door that lined the bleak, underground hallway. As one of the five heavy-set guards fumbled with a set of iron keys at the front of the group, Kurogane took the opportunity to observe his partner. Fai's blond hair fell over his crystal blues eyes, hiding his face from view. He was pulled from his thoughts by the clang of a heavy lock being opened. The rough-faced guard at the front of the group returned the family of keys to his belt before slowly opening the thick metal door.

An almost imperceptible nod towards the guards gripping the forearms of Kurogane and Fai was their only warning before the red-eyed man found himself being shoved forcibly into a dank cell. Kurogane felt his fair-haired companion roughly thrown in behind him, landing on the hard stone with a light "thud". Before either of the men could bring themselves to their feet, the cold feeling of an iron cuff circumventing an ankle each was felt. With no further preamble, the shuffle of multiple boots and the harsh slam of the hulking door resounded through the room as the guards took their leave.

With great annoyance, the red-eyed man sat up and surveyed the pale man next to him. The mage had taken quite a hit to the head and had only just woken up minutes before they found themselves in the dim-lit cell, that being the only reason they had not made an escape. Kurogane assessed the pale man for a moment before coming to the conclusion that Fai was not seriously injured, the lucidity in the blue eyes suggesting he had not suffered a concussion.

With the short evaluation out of the way, Kurogane allowed his annoyance to show, though he knew the blond man could easily sense it already. "Tch. Idiot mage." Fai only smiled, eyes sparkling with their usual mirth. "Oh come on, Kuro-puu, we've gotten out of worse." "STOP CALLING ME STUPID NAMES!" "Now now, Kuro-pii, your disturbing our guest." Kurogane opened his to shout, once again, in response to another of Fai's ridiculous nicknames before the rest of the sentence registered in his mind, breaking through his frustration towards the obnoxious man. His head snapped round to the opposite side of the cell. The ninja quickly berating himself internally for not being completely aware of his surroundings. The small chamber was very dimly lit, the torch in the far corner almost dead.

Despite this he could sense the presence of a smaller figure and his scarlet eyes caught sight of a pale, dirty foot just barely visible in the shallow light. As if feeling the ninja's eyes on the appendage, it receded into the shadows. A thin figure, both legs tucked close to his body, arms secured tightly around them, was barely discernible. A quiet rattling at the short movement told Kurogane that the person was sporting an iron ankle cuff identical to the two opposite men. The annoying thing was heavy, and the thick chain trailing from the contraption to be deeply embedded in the wall sang its rough tune with every movement.

Kurogane turned his head back to his companion after determining the small figure was not an immediate threat. Fai still had that irritating grin plastered on his face. A grin he wasted no time in opening in order to greet the mysterious cell-mate. "Hello there." The melodic voice rang through the small stone room. The shadows shifted, but no body was revealed, neither was there an answer. The blue-eyed man continued, undeterred by the silence. "My name is Fai. This brooding man here is Kuro-pon-" "I said stop with the stupid names, baka! It's Kurogane and you know it!" "-he's a bit grumpy."

The shadows warped again and Kurogane felt a foreign pair of eyes on him, but still no answer was given. Kurogane grunted in acknowledgment before leaning back against the uncomfortable stone wall and closing his eyes.


End file.
